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Generations of Atlantans grew up hearing stories interpreted by Akbar Imhotep, the legendary storyteller and puppeteer at the Wren’s Nest. His repertoire included legends of Brer Rabbit, African tales, and stories pulled from traditions that had nothing at all to do with the Wren’s Nest but everything to do with a living, breathing South.
On Nov. 23, the Wren’s Nest and the Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia welcomed friends, neighbors, and artists to gather on the lawn and honor the life of Akbar. The event included a tree dedication, storytelling by Kuumba members, and reflections from those who knew Akbar personally.
As longtime board member Jim Auchmutey shared at the event, the history of the Wren’s Nest changed the moment Akbar arrived in 1985. His voice, his presence, and his storytelling transformed the museum’s mission and connected it more deeply to the West End community.
Before Akbar arrived, storytelling at the Wren’s Nest looked very different. If you had visited 50 years ago, you would likely have seen an elderly Black man impersonating Uncle Remus, sitting in a little cabin that used to stand behind the house. By the mid-1980s, the museum was trying to figure out how to be more welcoming to the predominantly Black neighborhood and more honest about the complicated legacy of these stories.
When Akbar first came, he told African folk tales that had nothing to do with Brer Rabbit or Uncle Remus. He always wore a dashiki when he performed, saying, “Well, they’re African stories. What was I supposed to do—wear a coat and tie?”
Eventually, one of the directors asked if he might consider learning a Brer Rabbit story or two. People come here wanting to hear Brer Rabbit, they told him. And so Akbar—who hadn’t grown up with the Uncle Remus tales—learned them. At first, he wasn’t sure how he felt about becoming associated with Uncle Remus, but eventually, he made the role his own.
Akbar stayed at the Wren’s Nest for 37 years of storytelling, longer than Joel Chandler Harris himself lived in the house.
Before Harris passed away in 1908, he told his wife not to build a statue for him. If she wanted to honor him, she should plant a tree, he said. A growing thing. A living thing.
More than a century later, the community gathered to plant a tree for the man who gave this place its modern voice. A man whose roots run deeper here than even the one who built the house.
Akbar changed everything about the Wren’s Nest. And like any good storyteller, he leaves behind something that will keep growing.
Editor’s Note: When this story was initially published on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, it incorrectly stated that Kebbi Williams provided music at the event. The story was corrected on Monday, December 1, 2025.
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